Latest news with #friendlies
New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
The issues Frank has to solve in Spurs' pre-season – especially with Gibbs-White signing new Forest deal
Tottenham Hotspur played two friendlies on Saturday as new head coach Thomas Frank ramps up his pre-season preparations ahead of their two-game tour to Hong Kong and South Korea. The first was at Tottenham's training ground against League One side Wycombe Wanderers, kicking off at 11am. A side with a mix of experience and young talents drew 2-2 with the third-tier visitors. Pape Matar Sarr, who started in an advanced midfield role, scored the goals either side of a Junior Quitirna brace for Wycombe. An almost-entirely rotated line-up (other than 18-year-old midfielder Callum Olusesi, who made brief second-half appearances in both matches) then drew 0-0 away at Luton Town, another League One club, in the afternoon. Advertisement Despite Frank selecting a relatively experienced team, Spurs struggled to find any rhythm against Luton, who were in the Premier League as recently as May last year but have suffered back-to-back relegations. And their plans for the rest of the summer transfer window were dealt a big blow by news last night, revealed by The Athletic, that midfield target Morgan Gibbs-White was in talks over a new contract at Nottingham Forest, despite being set for a medical with Spurs two weeks ago. Forest confirmed his new deal shortly afterwards. As they now prepare to fly to Hong Kong to face local rivals Arsenal in their next warm-up game on Thursday, The Athletic looks at four issues Frank needs to address before the Europa League winners' season gets underway in earnest against Champions League counterparts Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup on August 13… Tottenham have no shortage of international-standard talent who can play at the base of midfield. In Rodrigo Bentancur's absence, the 19-year-old George Abbott deputised alongside Lucas Bergvall for the draw with Wycombe. Bergvall was arguably Tottenham's outstanding performer in the second half of last season, and when the Uruguay international Bentancur returns from his current illness, a double pivot with the Swede isn't lacking in quality. Yves Bissouma, Archie Gray and Sarr are all also capable of doing a job for Frank as midfield anchors. However, aside from Gray, all of those players often appear more comfortable in slightly more advanced roles. Whether Frank plays with a No 10 or a more traditional midfield three, Spurs currently lack a destroyer-type in that part of the pitch or a tempo-setting controller in a deeper role to allow that collection of talented (but more advanced) midfielders to showcase their skills. Gray — who Frank has a long-term admiration for, and tried to sign for Brentford last season from Leeds United — started against Luton, but failed to stamp his authority, with opposition midfielders seemingly able to unsettle him with intensity and physicality. Gray only turned 19 in March and has only made 11 competitive starts at the position since breaking through at Leeds in the 2023-24 Championship, so has plenty of time to flourish into the player many envision. He has also had a short off-season break due to his involvement in England's Under-21 European Championship triumph in June. Still, based on his performance at Kenilworth Road yesterday, he — and the same goes for his team-mates in that game — does not appear to be an ideal fit to start for Frank if Tottenham are to have successful 2025-26 seasons in the Premier League and Champions League. It's not just at the base of midfield where Frank has a problem. Last week, the Dane confirmed Dejan Kulusevski will miss the start of the new Premier League campaign and fellow attacking midfielder James Maddison is not yet ready to feature in matches after suffering a season-ending knee injury in early May. Gibbs-White signing a new contract with Forest until summer 2028 is a major stumbling block for Tottenham's attempts to address this issue, too. Advertisement The latter was poised to undergo a medical in north London two weeks ago, but the move stalled as Forest considered reporting Spurs for what they felt was an illegal approach to secure his services. The 25-year-old England international would have added an essential sprinkle of quality (alongside hard work and leadership), but now Tottenham must seek an alternative — either in the market or from within. As was often the case under Ange Postecoglou's management last season, they have yet to find their creative rhythm with Frank calling the shots. There's the natural caveat that Luton represented just his third pre-season game in the job, and that this is, after all, only pre-season, but Spurs persistently lack a spark in possession without the injured pair of Kulusevski and Maddison. Mikey Moore, 17, started in the No 10 role against Luton but was largely on the fringes, registering 22 touches — the fewest of anyone in Spurs' opening line-up. Jamie Donley was initially at left-back in place of Destiny Udogie, who 'felt something in the warm-up' and so was left out as a precaution, but the 20-year-old moved to the No 10 position after Moore was substituted on 77 minutes. Like his fellow academy graduate, Donley failed to make an impact on the game from there. The performance against Wycombe looked slightly more encouraging from this perspective, with Wilson Odobert drifting in from the wings and causing their defence trouble from the half-spaces (the area between the wings and the centre of the pitch). His threat was evident with the first Tottenham goal, with the Frenchman's shot from the edge of the box leading to Sarr tapping in the rebound from close range. Pape fires us ahead! 🔥 — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 26, 2025 Sarr's brace highlighted that Spurs do not need traditional final-third 'playmakers' to create, with the Senegal international's ability to lead an aggressive and coordinated press helping generate several opportunities. However, Frank's side will need to be more threatening with the ball once the games start to matter. Watching him lift the Europa League trophy as Spurs captain in May — the club's first silverware since 2008 — confirmed what their fans already knew: Son Heung-min is a Tottenham legend. Still, many of those supporters will admit the South Korean's productivity notably declined last season, and having turned 33 this month he may no longer be that world-class left-winger of years past who was good enough to start for almost any side in Europe. Advertisement The Athletic this week reported MLS side LAFC's interest in Son, who has scored 127 times in 333 Premier League appearances for Spurs over the past decade. While Son's abilities may be declining, 17 goal contributions (seven goals, 10 assists) in his 30 league matches last season indicate he may still have a lot to offer Frank's young side both on and off the pitch, and that influence should be a priority consideration when weighing up any offers. However, his lack of impact against third-division Wycombe did little to assuage concerns that his best years are now behind him. Tottenham travel to his home country on the second leg of their upcoming tour, and his presence as one of Asia's biggest stars will undoubtedly provide another boost to their reputation there. Whether this will be the last time he travels to the region in lilywhite, however, remains to be seen. At this point, it's fair to presume Solanke will start the new season as Tottenham's main No 9. The England international was omitted from the squad to face Luton as a precaution due to a minor ankle injury but, should he avoid any further complications, it appears likely he will start at least one of the Super Cup against PSG in the Italian city of Udine or the Premier League opener at home to promoted Burnley three days later. His absence offered an opportunity for Mathys Tel and Richarlison to start each of Saturday's two friendlies in his place, but they failed to capitalise on the moment. Tel was largely neat in possession and offered an outlet behind Luton's defence, but the 20-year-old Frenchman doesn't look entirely comfortable leading the line. Earlier against Wycombe, Richarlison squandered good goalscoring opportunities. Further down the pecking order, Will Lankshear, also 20, and 21-year-old Dane Scarlett lack the experience to spearhead the attack regularly in the biggest competitions. Advertisement Tottenham's decline in goal threat during Solanke's absence with a knee injury in January and February contributed to their struggles last season, eventually coming 17th in the 20-team division — their lowest finish of the 32-year Premier League era. If none of Spurs' current options step up as a viable alternative to Solanke, they may be prompted to go into the market to find one.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
🔥 Roma enjoy Ferguson's magic, Ilić and Leão score stunners 🚀 Today's friendlies ⚔️
The pre-season heats up with a Saturday full of friendlies. It's hard to keep up with everything, so here's our recap of all the matches played today by Italian teams. Watch all of Napoli's friendlies LIVE on OneFootball! Click here in the app to purchase Napoli-Stade Brestois 29. Kaiserslautern - Roma 0-1 Three out of three for Roma in pre-season, and Evan Ferguson scores again: in the 16th minute of the first half, the Irishman presses the goalkeeper high and scores a poacher's goal, confirming his scoring streak (5 goals in two friendlies). The new white and green third kit of the Roman club was on full display in front of over 35,000 spectators in Kaiserslautern. Gasperini's Roma is taking shape, showing aggressive pressing and good chemistry between the lines, even in a context with many rotations and key absences such as Dybala. Liverpool - Milan 2-4 In what is Massimiliano Allegri's summer debut, Milan conquers Hong Kong by beating English champions Liverpool 4‑2: starring Leão, who opens the scoring with a great solo effort and assists Loftus‑Cheek, and Noah Okafor with a second-half brace. Milan was solid in defense, showed great pace on the counter, and Pulisic stood out with an assist and excellent stats, while Liverpool struggled especially in transition despite Wirtz's debut. A touching tribute to Diogo Jota took place before the match. Napoli - Catanzaro 2-1 Napoli bounces back after the defeat to Arezzo, winning thanks to a lightning goal by Raspadori in the 1st minute and a penalty by Lucca in the 7th. Catanzaro pulled one back in the second half with Iemmello, but Contini preserved the lead with some good saves. Positive signs from Neres and Lang, both very dynamic on the wings; Conte rotated the squad heavily, testing several players after the training camp in Dimaro. Udinese - Qatar 3-0 Udinese defeated the Qatari national team coached by Lopetegui in their third pre-season test in Mittersill with a convincing 3-0. Goals by Keinan Davis, Iker Bravo, and Jürgen Ekkelenkamp. Excellent signs for Kosta Runjaić, with great intensity in the first 60 minutes of play. Cremonese - Torino 1-4 Torino, led by Marco Baroni, dominated the summer friendly against newly promoted Cremonese, ending their training camp with a convincing 4‑1 win: spectacular goals from Ilic (left-footed volley from outside the box), Adams doubled the lead before halftime, and in the second half Tameze headed in from a corner and Balcot finished off the Granata's four-goal haul. Cremonese pulled one back through De Luca in the first half, but never really troubled Paleari in the second half. Avellino - Lazio 0-1 Lazio struggled in the "Memorial Sandro Criscitiello": little attacking threat despite Sarri's front three of Zaccagni, Pedro, and Castellanos. The match was decided only in the 93rd minute with a penalty won by Noslin and converted by Guendouzi. Werder Bremen - Parma 0-0 Parma and Werder ended goalless: few attacking sparks, a very tight match, and little sharpness from the Crociati. The real news is the serious injury to Jacob Ondrejka: fracture of the left fibula, season compromised with a probable return only in 2026. Atalanta - Atalanta u23 1-0 Intra-squad test decided by a late goal from De Ketelaere, who walked the ball into the net on a Pašalić assist to break the deadlock in a match well controlled by the first team. Jurić—on his first test in charge of La Dea—rotated heavily, and the Under 23s held their own until almost the end of the match. Genoa - Mantova 3-2 The first half ended with Mantova ahead 1-0, but in the second half Genoa shifted gears. In the 53rd minute, Marcandalli equalized with a towering header from a corner, and in the 60th, the Grifone completed the comeback: a dangerous free kick from Stanciu, a short rebound from Festa, and Venturino pounced for the winning tap-in. In the 82nd minute, Galuppini made it 2-2 from the penalty spot after a foul on Mensah, but two minutes later Thorsby sealed the win with a precise header for the final 3-2. Hannover 96 - Cagliari 2-0 Cagliari lost 2‑0 in a nervous, foul-filled match (seven yellow cards). The German goals came from a penalty in the first half (Tomiak) and a corner in the second half (Neubauer). The Sardinians looked too experimental in the first half and only showed signs of a reaction after the break, but without offensive effectiveness. Triangular Tournament in Bolzano Mini-tournament in South Tyrol for Bologna and Sassuolo, hosted at the Druso in Bolzano by Südtirol. Italiano's team drew 0-0 with the hosts, then raised the level in the second match against Sassuolo, winning 2-1 thanks to comeback goals from Orsolini and Cambiaghi (the 1-0 for Sassuolo had been scored by Pinamonti). 1-1 draw between Sassuolo and Südtirol in the final match: both goals came within 5 minutes, with the hosts taking the lead in the 20th minute (Martini) and Sassuolo equalizing through Pierini in the 24th. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Napoli edge Catanzaro 2-1, De Bruyne pulls the strings
After the defeat in the season debut against Arezzo, Napoli immediately recovers and achieves their first win of the summer. Watch all Napoli friendlies LIVE on OneFootball! Click here from the app to purchase Napoli-Stade Brestois Dimaro, Antonio Conte's team beats Catanzaro 2-1, thanks to the goals in the first minutes of Giacomo Raspadori and Lorenzo Lucca. 🔥 7 minutes of spectacle Energetic start from the azzurri, who take just five minutes to open the scoring: a play by Neres on the right and precise assist for Raspadori, who defines from close range with a volley. Without time to reorganize, Napoli doubles the lead: Lucca anticipates goalkeeper Pigliacelli after a long pass and is fouled in the area. Clear penalty, transformed by the former Udinese striker, who scores his first goal with Napoli and signs the 2-0. In the 20th minute, Napoli brushes the third with Beukema, who, after an attacking play, hits the post with the goalkeeper already beaten. The post denies the third joy to Conte's team, but the double lead remains firm. The first seven minutes were enough to steer the match. 🎇 Napoli says goodbye to Dimaro with a win In the second half, at 49', Iemmello briefly revives Catanzaro's hopes with the 2-1 goal, but the reaction is not enough to change the course of the match. In Trentino, the azzurri thus achieve their first win of the new season, amidst the applause of the numerous fans present in Dimaro. The match ends 2-1, leaving encouraging signs for the next friendly against Stade Brestois 29. After the final whistle, Dimaro's stadium - which hosts the 14th consecutive retreat in Val di Sole - bids farewell to the Italian champion with tricolor fireworks. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here. 📸 Francesco Pecoraro - 2025 Getty Images
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Serie A friendlies: Atalanta, Udinese, Torino, Genoa and Cremonese in action
Several Serie A sides were in action for pre-season friendlies today, as Atalanta struggled against their own Under-23 team, Udinese beat the Qatar national side, with Torino and Genoa victories too. The summer is in full swing and that means a series of test matches for the teams we'll soon see in the Italian top flight. Atalanta made their debut under new coach Ivan Juric with an in-house game against their own Under-23 side, which will play in Serie C this season. Inter transfer target Ademola Lookman was left out officially due to muscular problems. It was tougher than expected for Atalanta, who only won 1-0 thanks to a late goal from substitute Charles De Ketelaere on the Mario Pasalic assist. Atalanta beat U23 side, Udinese saw off Qatar Udinese's Keinan Davis celebrates after scoring a goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match Udinese Calcio vs Cagliari Calcio at the Friuli – Bluenergy Stadium in Udine, Italy, 25 October 2024. EPA-EFE/GABRIELE MENIS Udinese fared better in their 3-0 victory over the Qatar national team, as Keinan Davis, Iker Bravo and Jurgen Ekkelenkamp were on target. Torino swept newly-promoted Cremonese aside 4-1 and the highlight was certainly this fantastic volley from Ivan Ilic well outside the area. Gran gol di Ivan Ilic! 🚀 Segui la diretta su DAZN 📺 Se sei abbonato alla stadio per la stagione 2025/26, iscriviti al sito e guarda la diretta streaming su Torino Channel 🐂 — Torino Football Club (@TorinoFC_1906) July 26, 2025 Che Adams pounced on a defensive error, Adrien Tameze nodded in and Bianay Balcot concluded the rout. Cremonese were on target with De Luca, but their defending left a lot to be desired under heavy rain. Genoa struggled to see off Mantova 3-2, as they had been losing 1-0 at the break, fighting back with Alessandro Marcandalli, Lorenzo Venturino and Morten Thorsby.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Burnley pick up positive results in pre-season double-header
Burnley manager Scott Parker split up his squad to take on two friendlies at the same time on Saturday afternoon, as the Clarets faced Shrewsbury Town and Huddersfield Town in a pre-season split his squad fairly evenly between the two matches, but goalkeeper James Trafford was a notable absence amid speculation around his future at the newly-promoted Clarets did pick up two positive results though; settling for a 2-2 draw against League Two side Shrewsbury and a dominant 2-0 win over League One side Tommy McDermott and Joe Westley stole the show against the Terriers at Accu Stadium, scoring a header and a close-range shot respectively.
